This invention relates to garden and landscaping tools, more particularly to a weeding tool designed to be used manually.
Normally, weeds or grass, which need to be removed from gardens or flower beds, must be pulled by hand, which is very time consuming and back-breaking work. An alternative to hand removal is to use a cultivator which is pushed through the dirt. However, a cultivator doesn't remove many weeds, but merely churns weeds into the ground. Furthermore, pushing the cultivator through dirt is also back-breaking work. A further alternative to the afore-mentioned approaches includes the use of a machine-powered rotor tiller which churns rather than removes weeds. However, rotor tillers are difficult to use in some gardens and around shrubs and in flower beds due to their size and difficulty in controlling the machine. Moreover, such machines are quite expensive, thus beyond means of many gardeners, and certainly not worthwhile to purchase for small gardens.
In view of the above, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive manual tool which adequately removes weeds and grass in gardens, around flower beds and for other landscaping purposes.
The prior art contains numerous patented tools, but none with the same structure and features as the present invention. Amongst the pertinent prior art tools are the following:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date of Patent ______________________________________ 2,225,108 Glascock Dec. 17, 1940 2,591,420 Gillespie April 1, 1952 DES 262,596 Green Jan. 12, 1982 2,010,325 Sawyer Aug. 6, 1935 2,790,297 Gardner April 30, 1957 DES 230,127 Banner Jan. 29, 1974 4,854,391 Johnson Aug. 8, 1989 4,945,996 Codding Aug. 7, 1990 5,003,760 Webb April 2, 1991 4,832,132 Barcelon May 23, 1989 4,791,995 Hochlan, Jr. Dec. 20, 1988 4,821,500 MacIvergan April 18, 1989 4,483,133 Pasley Nov. 20, 1984 ______________________________________
The Glascock patent teaches a combination garden tool having multiple prongs in front and back and supported by a roller, but has no rake or weed cutter. The Gillespie patent teaches a cultivator with prongs having a blade behind it for cutting weeds, but has no rake and the blade is not properly curved for weed cutting. The Green patent illustrates a garden tool with a row digger and coverer. The Sawyer patent shows various rake attachments which convert a rake for use as a hoe or weeder, but it too has a different structure than the present invention. The Gardner patent teaches a guard attachment for a rake designed to limit the depth of penetration of the rake prongs into the ground. The Banner patent teaches a one-wheel weeder with a cutting blade, but no rake. The Johnson patent teaches a multiple use cultivator that has no weeder. The Codding patent shows a rake and soil conditioner with an entirely different structure than the present invention. The Webb patent teaches a combination garden tool for hoeing, raking and cultivating, but has no weed cutter or removal tool. The Barcelon patent teaches a hand weeder with a prong and screw portion that engages the root of the weed for removal. The Hochlan, Jr. patent teaches a manual tool for mulching and weeding having a different structure than the present invention. The MacIvergan patent teaches a manual lake rake that is not close in structure to the present invention. Finally, the Pasley patent shows a tool having raking tines and also a cutting bar in the back for use in weeding, but although it performs the same function as the present invention, it has an entirely different structure and does not have wheels which would make it difficult for use.
In contrast to the above prior patented art, the present invention fulfills the above need and provides various objects and advantages as set forth hereinafter in a different manner which are not provided in any of the afore-referenced patents.